This is a rant.
I have been singing the praises of Aldi for years now…I mean my site even features Aldi in the name, so you know I love it. Or loved it. Cheaper prices alongside their British meat and dairy have made it a firm favourite. I’ve made the decision to stop shopping at Aldi for awhile, and here’s why!
I can’t do my whole shop there
I’m not talking about the items that Aldi don’t sell – I have managed to adjust my shopping to compensate for this, but the fact that shelves are often empty when I shop. I have tried 8pm, I have tried first thing on a weekend and I have tried a random lunch time during the week when I am working from home. There is always something on my shopping list that isn’t there – including fresh fruit and vegetables.
Their price comparison
Have you looked closely at Aldi’s price comparison? They compare brand names with Aldi’s products, which aren’t exactly a fair comparison – in most supermarkets the supermarket own brand will be cheaper than a branded product anyway.
Needing a £1 coin for your trolley
We all know that you need a £1 coin in order to get your trolley in Aldi – in fact I even have a special token for my key ring that acts like a £1 coin. For various, boring reasons I found myself at Aldi without a £1 coin, my token or any cash to buy something cheap and get £1 in change. Trying to do a week’s worth of shopping including potatoes and ice with a basket is really tough. My whole body ached by the time I was finished and of course I couldn’t get everything I needed.
Parking
This one drives me insane – it is already bad enough having to take about 2 hours out of my week to drive to Aldi, shop, drive home and put the shopping away. Grocery shopping is a chore that I absolutely hate, so I get really mad when there aren’t any parking spaces at my local store. I have had to drive around for 15 minutes or go and park in another local supermarket and walk over.
Rotten products
For ages I have applauded the quality of Aldi’s produce, but lately the fruit and vegetables I have been buying have been rotten within a couple of days of purchasing. I am all for being thrifty and using up fruit that will be going off soon, especially in smoothies, but two days after purchasing just isn’t going to cut it.
Customer rudeness
Whilst the staff are (mostly) polite (I have had the few occasions where a pallet truck whacks my ankles), the customers in my local Aldi are rude as f***. I generally find people quite rude anyway – I have wondered if it is something to do with my weight and people’s perceptions of overweight people, but that’s a whole other topic. Getting a “please” or “thank you” in any supermarket is hard enough, but in Aldi I get customers knocking into me or my trolley and not moving out of the way.
My conclusion
I wonder if Aldi have become too successful too quickly? The standards in my local store have definitely dropped, and staff rarely stay there for more than a few months. I’ve not sworn off Aldi for life – there are definitely some products that I would really miss, but I won’t be shopping there on a regular basis for the time being.
Where next?
After tweeting about how much I am hating Aldi at the moment, Naomi told me that she could send me a “refer a friend” Ocado offer to get £20 off my first online shop. So I took the plunge and placed my first order – and I have to say that I am really impressed. Yes it did cost more than shopping at Aldi, but not as much as I thought it would have. Plus they price match Tesco, including economy brands and will give you a voucher if your shopping would have been cheaper at Tesco. The colour coded shopping bags that my order was delivered in completely sealed the deal for me, so we will be continuing to trial Ocado.
If you would like to take advantage of my “invite a friend” vouchers – where you will get £20 off your first order over £80 and I will get a £20 voucher as a thank you, then just leave your email address and full name in the comments below. Don’t worry, I have turned on comment moderation, so your name and address won’t be made public to anyone. If you prefer, you can email me at [email protected]
Over to you – have you had any similar experiences in Aldi.
traceypeach says
Is there a value you have to meet before being able to shop online at Ocado?. Because I’m single I don’t need much per week yet some fresh foods you do need weekly. Asda is £25, Tesco is £40 & Iceland is £35
Emma says
Yep it is £40. To get the £20 refer a friend money off I stocked up on loo roll, dishwashing tablets and other stuff that will last awhile as £80 worth of shopping is hard for us to achieve weekly.
traceypeach says
Just found it, it’s £40
Michelle says
Have to say that I’ve never got on with either Aldi or Lidl. I’ve tried both a few times, mostly because everyone goes on about them so much I thought I was missing out! All the shops are scruffy and jumble saley, you can never get a full shop, and tbh I’ve not found them an awful lot cheaper than Asda.
Emma says
They’re definitely not cheaper when you factor having to go to another supermarket to get everything you want!
rosie3658 says
I detest Aldi! My hubby waited in the car at xmas whilst I went in to buy a few things and witnessed 2 really bad episodes of “parking rage” in the 45 minutes I was gone (yes, that’s another thing: It took ages to get round!) and we nearly had an accident caused by someone reversing without looking as we left! I work at Morrisons part-time and if it wasn’t for my 10% staff discount, I’d never shop there! I’ve been going to a “big” Farm Foods for the last 6 months and have found it to be extremely good value, good produce and cold cuts, and the staff are so helpful to my hubby (wheelchair user), that he’s happy to roll round the aisles with me! Admittedly, I can’t always get everything I want there so I do get bits and bobs when I’m at work, but far, far better and less stressful than Aldi!
I also shopped at Ocado when I bought my cooker from AO.com – they gave me £50 off an £80 shop as an incentive… and it was good. But, I prefer the prices from Farm Foods and their vouchers save me money too!
I suppose, like everything else, it’s horses for courses, but maybe you are right about their success. There’s a new Aldi opening soon near my Morrisions – let’s hope it doesn’t mean we all get made redundant!
Emma says
I’m on the fence about Farm Foods – I LOVE that you can buy Ben and Jerrys for £2, but I couldn’t do a proper shop there. We don’t have one nearby either, it is a 50 mile round trip, so we go and stock up on a few favourites.
I just hate shopping for groceries!
Wendy at Daisies and Pie says
I love Ocado – I have the delivery pass and order twice a week so the food is fresh – I always get what I want, I get it delivered when I want it and I don’t waste valuable family time traipsing around a supermarket with kids – LOVE Ocado
Emma says
Yes! Shopping takes forever, I love that every time I remember something I pop onto the Ocado app and put it into my basket. I’m really looking forward to my next delivery!
Blackpepper1 says
I am lucky then. Our local Aldi has plenty of parking spaces and the staff are very happy and friendly and helpful. The store always has everything I need no matter when I go usually a Thursday morning and everything lasts well and their fresh stuff is very good quality.
Seems like you have a badly run store near you.
Obviously if you are getting bad service and the stuff is not lasting and they run out of things it is not worth the money or time going there.
Grocery shopping is not exactly an enjoyable chore.
Hayley says
Yep, got to love those pallets in the ankles by the staff! Had that twice in 2 different stores. Must be on the hiring criteria!
I agree about the fresh produce issue. At least half of all the fresh fruit I purchased last week was rotten and mouldy within 2 days. I don’t mind spending more to have fresher produce which lasts longer.
Emma says
Maybe they even have entrance exams – see how many ankles you can knock!
Blodwyninexile says
We use a combination of Tesco and Lidl. Tesco because I can walk there, important to a 60 something who does not drive and the staff are so friendly. Mind you as we live at the seaside we tend to be shopping by 7.30am on a Saturday morning to avoid the crowds of folk filling up their caravans!
Then our mid-week shop is at Lidl. We have found a little spot in the car park that we always use and now the parking patrol man usually waves “‘Im-in-doors” into the slot!
Maybe a letter to Aldi HQ telling them about your experiences and the name of your blog might bring about a change for you? I do not use our local Aldi very often but our neighbour does, or did, as they have found problems with fresh produce too.
Lisa says
I find that whenever I’m in Aldi the staff are too busy packing the shelves with huge crates and carts to get around, I know its a value shop but they don’t even move to let you past, I even got barged out of the way the other day
margaret stewart says
Have to speak up for Aldi my store is great staff very smart and helpful and have never had a problem with quality of food .
Louise says
I do like and shop in Aldi, but with less frequency than previously. Its not the nicest experience since its always packed and, as you say, stuff is often out of stock. Also, some recent stories about their meat sources make me wonder. As Iike to shop local where possible, I’ve recently started shopping at my local market, butcher and fishmonger. Prices are surprisingly comparable but everything is much fresher.
Sharron says
Hi Emma, i don’t have any of the problems you mention and if i forget my pound they loan it me at the till. However i am so with you on the RUDENESS front. But this isnt Aldi it’s everywhere. Goodness i don’t think that society has any manners left.
I have a ‘set’ routine for shopping based on the clientèle. I have 3 days off a week. On one such day i get up at 7 and i’m in Aldi by 8, out by 8.30. This way there are about 4 other shoppers in the shop and i don’t have to encounter (many) bad mannered people. The staff are always lovely. I find that they are just a rude in M&S too…….
Sharron
Emma says
Hi Sharron,
You might be on to something about rudeness everywhere…